The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-06

know a few things about farming, though
what | don't know I've no doubt would
make an interesting chapter.
Ali those were happy days, golden days.
I believe I had genuine affection for every
living creature on the farm. They would
answer to my call, from old Brndle," the
grandmamma of all the bossies, down to
Bricktop," the hired man
My father was good Christian man, so
everybody said, and believe it, but he did
not take kindly to new-fangled notions or
inventions. He did not approve of sewing
machines, for he said " the girls ought to
learn to sew it is pretty and feminine ac-
complishment." Besides, If he was to pur-
chase machine 1t would be a button-sewer,
it was so much easier somehow to get
the shirts made than to keep the buttons on
Washing-machines and such he declared
were "invented on purpose for lazy people,
not for sprghtly girls like his. They needed
just such heathful exercise to tone down
their too exuberant spirits, else who could
live with such mad-caps?" He was gener-
GUS man. His minister tax " was good
round sum, and he freely gave for every
charitable purpose, but somehow he didn't
think the girls needed any pin money"
After coaxing in our prettiest manner for
the wherewith to purchase some bit of
finery that girls so dote on, he would smile
benevoenty on us and inform us, as he
often had before, that beauty unadorned
was admired the most" and with this doubt
full compliment as a panacea for ungratified
pride we had to be content.
AT fifteen years of age / took school at
"Way Back, receiving $1.25 per week and
"boarding round" leaving the little mother
with dairy of twenty-five cows to care for,
with a sister younger than myself for help.
She gave reluctant consent, saying she
knew it was only natural for girls to want
ribbon now and then that they did not have
to ask for.
That first week " boarding round shall
remember to the day of my death. | lik-
ened myself in my home-sic kness to trav-
eler in an Arabian desert, struggling on,
through wind and sand and sun, to reach
the oasis he knows to lie before him.
knew if I could possibly survive that Satur-
day night would bring me to my COASTS, "
HUUte. WOuuereu IL JHey dill lllSSeu Ile DIS
l did them-my father, he was good if he
acdS little odd; the busy, tired mother; the
sister who always lacked my robust health,
what if she was sick? They might all get
sick and die before Saturday night could
come. And old Brindle and all her brown
eyed descendants, and the risky pigs and
sociable geese, | thought of them all, and
my heart even softened toward " Bricktop,"
and mentally resolved never to guy him
any more about his red hair and pug nose,
nor accidentally empty the Watering on him,
or call him Creeping Moses" because he
moved so slow. How could he help it? His
feet were so big. The manner in which
these good resolutions were kept l will re-
serve for another chapter. But 1 want
to say, with "a. r. L. give the girls
pocket-money." They will never spend it
for tobacco, as their brothers might, and they
will show in many ways how grateful they
are. There is another class Ito which l IN
Fortunately belong) far more deserving of
sympathy than farmers wives. L refer to
" old maids" They may be just as happy
and more Independent than they could be